Sucaba/Barleywine Question

I finally able to try Firestone Walker's Sucaba last night, and loved it. (After "enjoying" enough of it, I was calling it "chupacabra" by the end of the night!)

Anyway, before this, I thought I hated barleywines. My question is this: is Sucaba a good example of a barleywine, or is it just in a category of it's own? I know the best way to get an answer would be to try some other examples, but I don't want to start buying a bunch of barleywines only to find out I still don't like them.

Beer Trader

I finally able to try Firestone Walker's Sucaba last night, and loved it. (After "enjoying" enough of it, I was calling it "chupacabra" by the end of the night!)

Anyway, before this, I thought I hated barleywines. My question is this: is Sucaba a good example of a barleywine, or is it just in a category of it's own? I know the best way to get an answer would be to try some other examples, but I don't want to start buying a bunch of barleywines only to find out I still don't like them.

Beer Trader

If you enjoy Sucaba, you will also enjoy Mother of All Storms, BA Old Ruffian, BA Hi-Fi Rye, Arctic Devil, CW BBBW (with about a year on it), and I also hear King Henry is a good comparable - I have never tried a bottle of it yet though.

Beer Trader

Anything by JW Lees. An English company that a makes a fantastic English Barleywine. Either go with the Harvest Ale or any of the barrel aged stuff. The bottles might give you a bit of sticker shock, but it is worth it. The best barleywine, american or.english that ive had. The bros rate it a perfect 100 and i agree with that. Aside from that, Nogne 0 "100" and Djaevlebryg Old Mephisto are also really good.

I need to amend my previous post-just remembered that Xyauyu series, JW Lees, and Thomas Hardy's all rank above Our Finest Regards for me. You should give all of these a try (except Xyauyu-it was a bit rich for my blood at $40/500ml until I had been in the barleywine game for a while).

Beer Trader

I finally able to try Firestone Walker's Sucaba last night, and loved it. (After "enjoying" enough of it, I was calling it "chupacabra" by the end of the night!)

Anyway, before this, I thought I hated barleywines. My question is this: is Sucaba a good example of a barleywine, or is it just in a category of it's own? I know the best way to get an answer would be to try some other examples, but I don't want to start buying a bunch of barleywines only to find out I still don't like them.

What say you?

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Very good beer, but substantially different from other EBWs, even BA ones.

Beer Trader

Sucuba is a great beer. That being said, it's incredibly barrel forward. Maybe try some non-barrel aged English Style Barleywines to get a better feel for the style. I certainly don't think "Sucuba" when I think of the style.